St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-27


| ton. and safe-what are not its posi-
bilitieS? This, in substance, asks its in
ventor, Frederick f. Campau, of De-
troit, and the interest which this queS-
ton and the appearance of the machine
exciteS is likely to be widespread
as soon as a trial of the queer vessel
has been made, even though the expert
ment fails to bear out the more extraya-
giant claims of its enthusiastic designer,
writes a Detroit correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune. 1t is simply water
cycle on mammoth scale, which will,
it is claimed, navigate" the roadways of
the land as well as the channels and
shadows of a stream. 1t is run by
steam, and can be got ready for service
as speedily as self-propelling fire en-
CINE.
Suppose that one of the machines
were stationed within fifty miles of a
wreck. The word is flashed to the sta
ton by one of the beach patrolmen, the
fire under the engine is started, and in
few minutes the vessel is Steaming
along the road (suppOsing the weather
to be bad to the place of wreck, making
fifty miles an hour. Arriving opposite
the wreck its course is changed, and
without an inStant's pause or hesitation
the machine is plunged into the lake
or ocean and SteamS for the wreck. 1t
picks up or takes off. as the case may
be, enough persons to make load, and
back to the beach it steams, not pauS-
ing, but rushing ont upon the sand and
away to the nearest farm house or
hotel, diScharging its load and back
again for more.
was conceived by Mr.. Campau several
years ago, but not until last year did he
attempt to work it out. After expert
menting for several months he con-
Structed two shops in the rear of his
residence for more systematic work.
and when he had 1abored several weeks
in these shops he had a machine which
looks like the accompanying cut. The
extreme diameter of the two wooden
wheels is fourteen feet. The spokes
terminate at the center in
shaft or axle, which is made of
iron pipe four inches i'm diameter
The wheels are seven feet apart, and
their outside circles are incloSed with
boarding for thirty inches, the space in
side being twenty inches vide. The in
terror is lined with zinc. The whole
periphery of the paddle-wheels thus
forms an air-tight circular box. The
two hollow wheels and the float behind
give buOyancy to the strange craft. On
the side of each wheel are sixteen pro-
jecting tiangeS or paddles of wood, thirty
inches in length, each presenting to the
water surface of twelve inches in
width and depth of from fifteen to
seventeen inches, according to the de 9th
they are submerged. They do not
extend beyond the face of the
wheels, and hence do not interfere with
the lOcOmOtiOn of the machine on land.
On the axle or shaft, and between the
wheels, in placed framework of
twO-inch iron pipe of triangular shape.
The front of the triangle extends seven
feet beyond the shaft, and also extends
twenty-four feet to the rear, where it is
total length of thirty-One feet. The
front part is about six feet in width,
and it gradually converges on both
sides to the rear, which is only twenty
two inches in breadth at the float. The
sides are strengthened with several
cross braces of one-inch iron pipe.
The steering apparatus is Ingenious.
The float at the end of the triangle,
which forms the third leg or support of
the craft, will be used as rudder. The
float is eight feet in length and is shaped
like cigar, pointed at both ends. From
opposite points OH the triangle, in front
of the float. are fastened iron elbows,
which incline inwardly toward the bow
of the boat. TO each of these elbows is
attached pulley. Wire cords run back
to the steering apparatus, just forward
of the shaft, and it is expected that the
SteerSman, by guiding the bow of the
float behind, will direct the course of the
queer craft as well as by the usual rud-
der. A series of small wheels are at
tached to the bottom of the float, and
these it travels on when the machine is
on land. The triangle will be decked
over, and will contain the boiler, the
engine and platform for the engineer
and passengers. The boiler will be
placed in front of the shaft, and the EN-
CINE just behind it. The pro-
peiling, apparatus will be
which will engage with cOgs on
the inner sides of the paddle-wheeIs.
Mr. Campau thinks he can turn the
wheels by hand-power. but intends to
put on an upright engine and boiler of
about two-hOrSe power, weighing alto
gether about 800 pounds. The new
craft will weigh, with engine. boiler,
ETC., about 1000 pounds, but the invent
or thinks that the wheels. which are the
principal buOyant power, will not be
submerged more than seventeen inches
in the water. The inventor claims
that the wheel, which is fourteen
feet in diameter, can be reyolved by
steam power 100 times minute. AS
there is 10 hull TO oppose its progress.
the circumference of the wheel being A
feet and making 100 revolutions
minute. it follows that the machine
would travel 1000 feet minute This
is at the rate of about one mile in one
minute and quarter. or fifty miles an
hour. Mr. Campau limits his eXpecta-